Dense as a Fruit Cake
by aussiebabe290
Summary: Oneshot. "We need to step things up a notch, because, as it turns out, our dear Loren is as dense as a fruit cake". "There is nothing subtle about this and it if fails, I won't hesistate to kill you in your sleep".


**Read and review, please!**

* * *

"Bridget, I have a problem", Charley Prince approached the doorway carefully and Bridget Sanchez let out a small groan, lifting her head off the pillow.

"Charley, mate I love you, I really do. But if it's about the history homework, I have just spent the last hour of my life trying to explain trench warfare to Guy for the test we have in two weeks. Every time I think he gets it, he doesn't. So if it's anything about the homework, please. Go and see Loren".

"No, no, no, it's not about trench warfare- what doesn't he get?" he frowned in confusion, and Bridget just shrugged. "It's about Loren".

Bridget sat up, her blue eyes suddenly sparkling. "About Loren?" she asked. "Talk to me, I'm listening".

"Of course you would be". Charley rolled his eyes, and Bridget stared. Plopping down on the end of her bed and almost crushing her feet. "Oh, sorry. Alright. So, how well do you know Loren?"

"What kind of ridiculous question is that?"

"I mean, you share a room with her and everything-"

"You're acting as though you don't live in this house as well!" she broke into a laugh, before seeing his sober expression. "Sorry, sorry. Okay. I know her pretty well, why?"

He mumbled something under his breath and she grinned.

"If you're asking me how to let her know that you like her, you're going to have to come right out and say it".

"You're mean. You're too much like Cassie and I don't like that. You've been spending too much time around her and she's rubbing off on you".

"Please, Loren's the innocent one. So, rough as guts Charley Prince has a crush!" she grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. "Aw, Charley!"

"Yes, alright? I like Loren". His face was as red as the blanket on the aforementioned girl's bed, as he stared at the loose threads on Bridget's. "So, can I have some assistance in letting her know?"

"What do you need my assistance for?"

"Did you miss the 'letting her know I like her' part?" he stared in confusion.

"What do you need to know? I mean, you live two rooms away, it's not like you're going to need to stalk her or something equally insane". When he stared, her cheeks flushed slightly. "Just be subtle. Its Loren, she wouldn't want something over the top. That would, almost definitely run her away".

"That wasn't very helpful, you know?" he said.

"I don't know. Chocolates, maybe a bear or something. She loves soft toys and only brought her dolphin". She motioned to the big blue dolphin on the other bed, nodding. "She loves that dolphin".

"Alright, this is good. What kind of chocolates does she like?"

"Dude you live here too".

"Dude I don't stalk her eating habits".

"And yet I can almost guarantee you can name what she's eaten for every meal in the last week".

Charley paused for a moment (because he could, in fact, name what she had eaten for the last week, and probably the week before that), before nodding. "You're no help".

"She loves chocolate. Except chocolate macadamias. In fact, it's probably best you steer away from the chocolate covered nuts all over. She's not to keen".

"Bridget?" Guy called. "Can you explain the difference between-"

"She's busy, go and ask Adam", Charley snapped, seeing the blonde's blue eyes roll to the ceiling.

"What's going on in here?" Guy wanted to know, stopping in the doorway. "Where's Loren? She had a pretty good idea about the whole World War One deal".

"She's in the pool room". Charley shook his head in amusement, as Guy carried his textbook downstairs.

"Do something like that- but subtle", Bridget reminded him. "And if you go all cheesy and romantic and do flowers, do not get the biggest bunch you can find. That would be ridiculous and not subtle at all".

"Please, you'd love it if someone bought you flowers".

"I kinda would, actually". She blushed, grinning. "That solves your dramas, Charley?"

"Not really. But thanks anyway!" he grinned at her, before patting her foot. "You can go back to your nanna nap now, old lady".

She swung her fist pathetically at him. "Don't even talk to me".

(At seventeen and the oldest kids in the house, Bridget and Charley were the unofficial leaders.)

* * *

"Special delivery for one Miss Loren Power!" Bec said cheerfully, bringing a small gift bag to the table.

"Ooh, who's it from?" Cassie questioned, and Loren looked at Bec inquisitively.

"I don't know, I saw it on the front veranda when I was coming back from the shops". Bec shrugged, and Loren pushed aside her cereal bowl to open it. Inside she found a small box of Cadbury chocolates and a tiny teddy bear, and Bridget shot a sideways glance to Charley.

"Lucky girl!" Bridget commented with a grin, and Charley kicked her under the table. She bit back a wince and grinned, as Loren looked for a card.

"Secret admirer, Loren?" Garry teased.

"What are you going to call him?" Guy checked.

"Her secret admirer?" Adam's eyebrows shot up into his afro in confusion and Guy stared.

"The bear".

"Mr Bear".

"You're very original with your names, Loren", Cassie complimented with a grin, making the blonde blush.

Charley stole a glance at the clock, before standing up from the table. "Hey, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news-"

"Pun intended?" Garry interrupted, and Charley grinned.

"We're going to be late if we don't get a move on".

Bec opened the fridge and pulled out the six bagged lunches, reading the names on the labels and tossing them to their respective owners. Garry went for the apple juice poppers (before adding them to the shopping list), while Cassie and Guy distributed fruit. The last minute rush in the Solar Blue house was a far cry from the last minute rush of any other house, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

"Who's the bear from?" Garry asked immediately, as soon as the last kid had disappeared from sight.

Bec shrugged. "I've got an idea, but aren't you the one who's all for NOT jumping to conclusions?" she broke into a giggle when she saw the pout on his face. "We'll find out soon enough. I've got paperwork to do, what are you doing?"

"I was going to re-watch their last comp videos and then head to the gym. Want to watch the comp video?"

Bec shrugged, before taking the best seat on the lounge. "The brekky dishes can wait".

* * *

A few days later, a small bunch of flowers arrived on the front veranda, much to Loren's delight. Charley, on the other hand, wasn't so pleased.

"This is getting nowhere", he complained to Bridget.

"We need to step it up a notch", Bridget said confidently, nodding. "Yeah. Don't worry, Charles, I'll get back to you. Trust me!"

"Why should I trust you? And you're the one who said to Guy just last night 'never trust a person who says trust me'!"

"What are those two plotting?" Garry asked Bec, as Bridget and Charley huddled together in the corner of the kitchen.

Bec just shrugged, as Bridget walked into the lounge room and flopped dramatically, face first, into the lounge cushions.

"That looked awfully serious", Bec commented, as Bridget flopped dramatically onto the lounge. "Everything okay?"

"Yes".

"Are you sure?"

"Yes".

And she stayed face down on the pillows (rivalling Cassie's dramatics) until Bec wandered away.

* * *

"Hey Loz", Bridget said curiously, as she pulled her blankets up. "Remember how we were talking the other day, at our first official girls' sleepover, and we were saying what our perfect dates would be? Cassie and I answered but you fell asleep before you got a chance to".

Loren blushed, nodding. "Yeah?"

"Well, what was it?" Bridget grinned. "Don't worry, I won't laugh. I was just curious".

"Really, I'd love to have a romantic picnic on the beach". Loren sighed dreamily, hugging her dolphin and Mr Bear to her chest. "I think that's so romantic in the books and the movies, and I'd love tha.t nothing fancy, just a picnic on the beach".

Bridget nodded thoughtfully. "Oh".

"Hey, what's going on with you and Charley?" she asked suddenly. "you two are spending an awful lot of time together!"

"Oh, nothing!" Bridget assured her, and she saw Loren grin in the darkness. "Trust me, there's nothing between us. Besides, he's got his eyes set on someone else".

Loren's face fell ad Bridget could have kicked herself for using those words.

"Oh", she said quietly. "Good night, Bridget".

"Night, Lozzy".

And in the silence of their bedroom, Bridget could have sworn she heard a sniffle.

* * *

"A romantic picnic on the beach". Bridget cornered Charley as he came out of the bathroom, making the poor boy jump a foot into the air.

"Jesus!"

"A romantic picnic on the beach", she repeated.

"What?" Charley's eyebrows almost shot off his head. "I thought you said be subtle! There is nothing subtle about sneaking a meal and our picnic rug out onto the sand! Where's the subtleness in that?"

"Well, that was before I realised our dear Loren is as dense as a fruit cake!" Bridget sighed in frustration. "Charley, I don't understand why you had to tell me this. I mean, why not Guy or Adam? Or Cassie?" Charley stared and she flushed, nodding. "I see your point. Are you remembering Garry's birthday surprise?"

"Yes. The girl couldn't keep a secret if you stapled her mouth shut and cut off her hands".

"That's rather drastic".

"That's rather true".

* * *

"Bridget and Charley have been spending a lot of time together lately", Garry commented to Bec, as Loren sliced up apples for the dessert she was making. The girl's grip on the knife tightened slightly, as she frowned.

"So?" Cassie wanted to know, looking up from her maths book. "What are you implying, Gaz?"

"Nothing". Garry shrugged, waiting for a reaction. And when he didn't get anything, he frowned.

"Leave it, Garry", Bec warned, seeing the look on Loren's face.

* * *

Charley waited until Loren got into the bathroom, before advancing into the room the two girls shared. "So, I'm going to need you to vacate the house tomorrow night".

"What?" Bridget frowned at him.

"Doesn't matter where you go, you just need to go".

"I can't believe you kicked me out of my own room!" she protested, shoving her folder into her backpack. "What is wrong with you?"

"You said be subtle, that didn't work. Now we're doing things my way. With only slight instruction from you".

"Charley. You had no idea. That's why I got involved in this in the first place, in case you forgot".

"You're never going to let me forget".

She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling. "Well, I want to hear about it. From both Loren and you".

"And if it fails, I'll kill you in your sleep".

"Hey!" she screeched, and Cassie's voice trailed up the stairs.

"You okay, Bridget?"

"I'm fine!" she called quickly, lowering her voice. "This was your part of the plan! I had nothing to do with this!"

"Can you just try and get everyone out of the house tomorrow night without telling Loren? And preferably Cass to, until the last minute", he added as an afterthought. "Once Cassie knows, everyone knows. Just make up an excuse. I'm planning on coming down with a migraine tomorrow afternoon".

"It's going to be a fire drill". Bridget's eyes shone. "I'm going to plan a fire drill and we're going to have to evacuate the premises".

"Bridget!"

She laughed. "It's alright, Charley. I'll work something out. Just chill and plan you romantic picnic on the beach".

"Thanks, Bridget". He grinned at her and she beamed.

* * *

"Are you guys up for a movie tomorrow night?" Bridget checked, once Loren was in the shower. "I mean, to celebrate the end of the first term of school. Dinner and a movie".

"Or we could go bowling", Bec suggested with a grin. "When I was here, deb and Simmo used to make us do all these bonding things on a Friday night, and we went bowling a few times. It was fun, and they have some of the best pizza in Sydney at that bowling alley".

"Well, I'll have you know that I am a bowling extraordinaire", Garry said, "So good luck".

"Boys verses girls?" Guy said eagerly.

"I don't see why not, we can beat you!" Cassie enthused. "Bowling and pizza, sounds good".

It wasn't that they didn't invite Loren, Bridget used in her defence (when Charley cornered her and asked why Loren had no idea about their bowling expedition). They just didn't mention it and hoped that it would remain under wraps until the night of their departure.

(He told her to remove everyone from the premises and when she did, he complained. She just couldn't win, with that boy.)

"Bec", Charley said, coming down the stairs only moments before they were due to depart. "I've got a really bad headache, is it okay if I skip out on bowling tonight?"

Loren glanced up from the book that had totally absorbed her and tugged the earphones from her ears. "You're going out?"

"Charley's not", Adam reiterated. "Alright, let's go".

"You're not coming, Loz?" Cassie asked, surprised.

"I didn't know", she said in a whisper, and Bec's eyes widened, looking to Bridget. Bridget just shrugged.

Bec's hand moved from Charley's forehead (emitting a coughed 'Mother Hen' from Garry and a slap to his chest from the brunette) to Loren's. "Are you sure you're going to be right to stay here on your own, Charley?"

"I'm staying", Loren said quietly. "I'll look after him".

"Loren, you're a sweetheart". Bec kissed the top of her head. "There's money for takeaway in the drawer on the bench, if you want to order something. There's not really anything to be cooked, it's all frozen, but there's leftovers from last night".

"Name one person who would willingly eat that disaster again?" Guy scoffed, and Cassie slapped his chest.

"I didn't see you offering your assistance!"

"I would have if I had known it was going to turn out like that!"

"Guys", Garry said, putting a hand up. The two quietened, as Bec turned from Loren to Charley again.

"Okay, well call if you need anything", Bec said finally. "I think we better get going".

"Bye!" Charley all but pushed them out the door, earning a stern glare from Bridget.

"Are you okay, Charley?" Loren checked, and he nodded.

"Yep".

"I'm going upstairs to have a shower. Want to maybe watch a movie or something? I'm not really sure what's on TV tonight, but I'm sure there's something". She shrugged. "I think I'm going to go and have a shower. What kind of takeaway do you want?"

"We can decide when you come back downstairs", Charley said, and Loren nodded in agreement.

"Okay".

As she headed upstairs, he leapt to work. Knowing that her favourite kind of takeaway was Chinese (something he had found out on the day that Bec and Garry had abandoned them in favour of a Solar Blue meeting with Angus), he grabbed the menu from the top drawer in the kitchen, before phoning up the restaurant and ordering Loren's favourites.

Arranging the chocolate covered strawberries (Bridget had informed him of the contents in the blue Tupperware container in the back fridge that afternoon, and he could have kissed her for thinking ahead) onto a plate.

But then the worst of the worst happened. There was a crack of thunder from outside and Charlie wished for the lounge room floor to swallow him up that second. So, as the heavens opened up, he lay the picnic rug out on the floor of the lounge room.

"What's all this?" Loren asked, standing in the doorway with her hair still wet. She had changed her board shorts and worn grey singlet for tights and a loose top, her wavy hair hanging over her shoulders. "Charley?"

"I'm suddenly feeling a lot better". He grinned cheesily and she sat down gingerly on the edge of the blanket.

"It was you, wasn't it? The flowers, and the bear, and the chocolate?"

Charley nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, it was".

"God, I'm so stupid sometimes!" she laughed, her face flushing a deep red, and Charley grinned.

"As dense as a fruit cake". The words slipped before he ran them through the filter, and he clapped a hand to his mouth.

"What?" she all but shrieked.

"They are the words of your roommate, not me", he added hastily. "That's a quote directly from the mouth of Bridget Sanchez".

"I'm going to have to kill her while she sleeps".

"Believe me, I'm two steps ahead of you".

* * *

The night was full of _The Breakfast Club_ (after finding nothing on TV Charley put on Guy's favourite movie, keeping it as a soundtrack to their night), Chinese food and chocolate covered strawberries ("after I interrogate Bridget", Loren said cheerfully, "Remind me to thank her") and- the best part, in both their opinions- a first kiss (Charley couldn't wipe the smile off his face and Loren almost melted into a puddle on the picnic rug).

They heard their six housemates before they saw them, as they thundered up the steps and wrestled with the front door.

"We totally won!" Bec crowed (although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she was more competitive than Garry, and given the opportunity, she would let it show). "What did I tell you, Gaz?"

"Rematch next weekend!" Garry hollered, just as loud as the front door flung open and they tumbled inside.

Loren didn't even make an effort to remove her head from Charley's shoulder, and Charley left his arm draped around her shoulder, as the movie drew to an end.

Bridget was the first to see it, and she punched her first into the air, mimicking Judd Nelson on the screen. "Yes!" she almost whooped, and Bec grinned at Garry. "I told you, Loz, he had his eyes set on someone else!"

"Migraine my butt!" Guy plopped down beside Charley. "Now, how did this escape our attention? More importantly, how did Cassie not know?"

"Hey!" Cassie protested.

"Sorry pigeon, you can't keep a secret", Adam said, patting her shoulder. "But why didn't we know?"

Loren turned to Bridget. "I believe you were in on this?"

"I might have been", she said, suddenly uncertain. "Bec was too".

"What?" Bec held up her hands in her defence. "I can read you guys like books, I only had an inkling of what was happening!"

"Mother Hen", Garry coughed and Adam snickered, high fiving him.

"Dense as a fruit cake?"

"What's important is that the two of you are together now", Guy, always the peacemaker (and stirrer), draped his arms around the two of them. "But dense as a fruit cake? That's harsh!"

Bridget plucked a pillow off the lounge, before thumping him across the chest. Loren, laughing, pulled Bridget in for a hug.

"Thank you", she whispered, and Bridget beamed.


End file.
